After the Tennessee Titans decided not to apply the franchise tag on the 25-year-old cover man, at least one interested party is hovering.

ESPN.com's Ben Goessling reported that the Vikings"called to express interest" Saturday after teams were given permission to dial up free agents ahead of Tuesday's open-market launch.

There's a natural fit for Verner in Minnesota with the presence of defensive backs aide Jerry Gray, who coached the fifth-year corner in Tennessee during his run as the Titans' coordinator.

We expect Minnesota to face competition, but with upwards of $33 million in salary-cap space, the Vikings have the room to pay Verner. He's a good bet to make close to $10 million annually after finishing as one of the top players at his position last season.

Few teams need secondary help more than Minnesota, a team that allowed a whopping 4,598 yards through the air last season, second worst in the NFL.

Verner's on the smaller side, but that didn't hinder his play in 2013, and he'd be a foundational piece of the puzzle for a Mike Zimmer-led team that needs an influx of talent on the defensive side of the ball.